Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

Despite the Minister's statements, there is no evidence to suggest this measure will succeed in reducing rents. This decision is made against the backdrop of many people in receipt of rent allowance already paying in excess of the €30 minimum they are required to pay. They are forced into having to pay over the odds because many landlords will not accept people on rent allowance. Vulnerable people will be the fall guys of what the Minister is doing. I have received correspondence on this issue from many people, including from a heroic mother, Deirdre from Wicklow, who fought tooth and nail to have her disabled son educated in a local school and is now faced with having to move out of that area because her rent allowance limit has been reduced from €850 per month to €625 per month. She will not be able to maintain that unit and is faced with having to either move out of the area or move into substandard accommodation. Meanwhile nothing is being done to release the numerous empty units around the country, many of which are NAMA properties effectively owned by the State, thus ensuring people are not constantly forced to move to different geographic areas.

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